Beehive attachment



O. E. PHILPOTT BEEHI VE ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 T O. E. PHILPOTT BE'EHIVE ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 31, 1924 W %1 g 23W z 1 w W 5 UVUTUUU E g $5 n v n l T i V i V L V E i n r\ A z 2 I 31 TL 5 J Q a 17*] T My f T )zl w O. E. PHILPOTT BEEHIVE ATTACHMENT Fi1ed.Jan. 31, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATE OREN EDGAR PHILPOTT, OF FIELDALE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF FIFTEEN ONE-HUN- DREDTHS TO STAFFORD G. WHITTL'E, JR., AND KENNON C. WHITTLE.

BEEHIVE ATTACHMENT.

Appflication filed January 31, 1924. Serial No. 689,748.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OREN E. PHILPOT'I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fieldale, in the conuty of Henry and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Beehive Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bee culture and more particularly to cages to be used in conxnection with bee culture for introducing queen bees to new colonies in connection with which they are to be used.

The object of the invention is to provide a cage of this character which is constructed primarily for introducing queen bees to new colonies but which may also be used to transfer a queen bee and her attendants from a shipping package to a hive, or to transfer bees from one hive to another.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a front elevation ofone form of cage embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is an edge view thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line, 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail side or edge view showing' the detachable connection of the bail with the cage.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section of a beehive with this cage shown applied and in elevation.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of another form of cage.

Fig. 7 is, a transverse section taken on the line;77 of Fig. 6. p

Fig. 8 is a plan' view of one of the members forming a part of the cage shown in 1 Figs. 6 and Fig. 9 is a similar view of. another memher having the feeder mounted thereon.

Fig. 10 is a front elevation showing a slightly difierent arrangement of the parts; an

Fig. 11 is a transverse section taken on 13116215118 l'1,.'-1lv Of 1.0.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 the cage 1 comprises a body member 2 having a chamber 3 thereln for housing the queen bee and her attendants either for introducing or transferring. The body 2 has slots 2? and 2 when in position retain the queen within the cage. The slide i is made in the form of a foraminousplate preferably composed ofscreen wire which will effectively close the cage at one side to prevent, the exit of the queen or her attendants and. yet permit the free passage 'of air as well as provide for the feeding of the bees therethrough when the food container 10 is locatedv over this slide as will be presently more fully described.

The slide 5 is made inthe form of aplate having a plurality of slot-like openings 5 which are here shown arranged in parallel series and are of a size to permit the bees which attend the queen to pass in and out therethrough but are not large enough for the passage of the queen so that she will be re tained within the compartment 3 While the smaller bees may pass freely in and out through the plate 5 which is termed an excluder, plate 4 being termed the introducer.

The slots 2 and 2 in which the slides are mounted have flared mouths 6 and 7 at one side of the cage to permit grasping of the slides by the fingers for removing or inserting them.

The outer faces of the top and bottom of the cage'adjacent one edge or side are provided with cleats 8 and 9 which form rests for the bail 13 which passes transversely across the cage over the food container 10.

The top and bottom walls, ofthecasing or body have round openings to receive a reduced circular portion 12 carr ed bythe inner face of the feeder 10 so that when the feeder is in position as shown, in, Figs. 2 and 3 this portion 12 will lie flat against one of the slides accord ng to the side on which the feeder is mounted.

The feeder 10 has a food compartment 11 opening through its inner face and which is designed to hold candy or the like for feeding the bees when impounded in the ca e.

The outer face of the feeder 1.0 is prefer ably rounded or convex as shown clearly in the drawlngs and over which passes the bail 13 which is preferably constructed of a piece of strap metal pivoted at one end to one side or edge of the body 1 shown at 14. This bail is of a length to span the cage and the free end thereof numbered 15 has a slot 16 opening laterally through oneside edge to form a hook for detachable engagement with headed studs 17 and 18 arranged in trans verse alinement on one side edge of body 2 at a point diametrically opposite the pivotal connection of the strap with the body.

The feeder 10 is designed to be interchangeably engaged with either the plate at or 5 and the bail 13 is swung accordingly to hold it in place and its hook d end engaged with either the stud 17 or 13 as the case may be.

In the use of this cage when it is desired to introduce a queen bee to new colony the feeder 10 is placed over the excluder 5 as shown in Fig. 3 and the cage is suspended over an opening 22 formed in one side wall. of the beehive 20 below the hand hold 2].. The cage 1 as shown in Fig. 5 is held in position by a hanger 23 which is similar in construction to the member shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and which is capable of operating also as a clamp. When in th s position the foraminous plate 4 is located opposite the opening 22 so that the bees in the hive 20 may crawl up to the cage 1 and get acquainted with its occupants without permitting them to come in contact with each other. After they have become sufficiently acquainted the cage is reversed and the feeder 1O placed over plate l while plate 5 is disposed opposite the opening 22 in the beehive. l/Vhen the cage is so mounted the bees in the hive may crawl. nto the cage through the openings 5 and the attendants 0f the queen contained in the cage may crawl out into the hive so that eventually the colony in the hive will have become acquainted with the queen in the cage and the excluder plate 5 may then be removed and permit the queen to pass into the hive and establish herself as ruler of the colony.

While this cage 1 is intended primarily for introducing a new queen to a bee colony it obviously may also be used for transferring bees from one hive to another or from a sh pping package to a hive.

In the form shown in Figs. 6 to 11 the cage is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to l except that instead. of being made as a unitary structure having slidably mounted plates it is formed of detachably connected sections held together by clamps 23 and 36 as shown in Figs. 6 and or by clamps 23 and 36 shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The clamp 23 is similar to that shown at 23? in Fig. 5 and is designed to perform the double function of a clamp and hanger.

This sectional cage is composed of a bod member 24; having frames 25 and 28 removably mounted on its outer faces and carrying respectively the eXcluder 26 and the introducer 29 respectively which are formed similar to these elements shown at 5 and at in the other figures.

The foraminions plate 29 has an opening 30 designed to be normally closed by a pivoted plate 31.

The feeder in this form of the invention is shown in the form of a plate 33 having a circular member 34 on its inner face to be fitted in the same manner as the feeder of the other figures and which is equipped with a plurality of feed containers Another frame 37 similar to the frame 23 has a foraminous wire nettingcover 33 secured over the opening therein said frame being exactly like frame 28 except the cover has no opening therein.

In the use of this form of the invention to provide a queen introducing cage the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 11 with the frame 37 located over the excluder carrying frame next to which is placed the body member 2 and over this body member is arranged the frame 28 with the feeder 33 located on the outside of frame 28. These parts are then all clamped together with two steel clamps 23 and 36 and the cage is ready for use. Before the feeder 33 is applied the door 31 is opened and the queen and her attendants inserted through the opening 30 and the door again closed. The cage is then hung with the wire nettin 38 facing a hole bored in the bee hive and which'is located preferably right under the hand hole in the side of the hive so that the cage may be centrally located. The cage is suspended in this position by any suitable means until the bees in the hive become acquainted with the queen and her attendants. The frame 37 is then removed from in front of the eXcluder carrying plate 25, which permits the bees in the hive to enter the cage with the queen through the excluder but does not allow the queen to leave the cage. After the bees have been allowed to visit in this manner for a short time the feeder 33 is placed over the excluder to form a closure for the cage and the cage reversed and placed with the plate 29 opposite the opening in the hive. The door 31 is then opened and the hole 30 temporarily closed with candy which the bees will eat and when it is consumed the queen is permitted to escape through the hole into the hive.

hen it is desired to use this cage for controlling the swarming bees, just before the bees in an old hive are ready to swarm a new hive is placed adjacent the old one with registering holes bored in the two hives which. are connected by the body member or ltlll filler 24 having the excluder 26 arranged over one face. The top from the old hive is then removed and a comb on which the queen is located is removed and placed in a new hive. The entrance to the two hives is then closed and the young bees as they hatch Will pass into the new hive through the excluder and join the queen as forming a new colony.

I claim 1. A combined bee introducing and transferring attachment for beehives comprising a cage having one wall provided with small 'HlfiCGS to permit the bees outside the cage to visit those inside without coming into contact with each other, another Wall being provided with a perforate queen bee excluder, and interchangeable means for covering either of said walls according to the use to which the cage is to be put.

2. A combined bee introducing and transferring attachment for beehives comprising a cage having removable perforated plates, one plate having small orifices and the other openings of a size to permit workers to pass in and out of the cage and exclude the queen, and a removable closure to fit over either of said plates according to the use to which the cage is to be put.

3. A device. of the class described comprising a body member having plates slidably mounted to form closures therefor, one of said plates having small orifices and the other openings of a size to permit the workers to pass in and out and to exclude the queen, and a closure. to interchangeably fit over said plates and be held engaged therewith.

4:. In a device of the class described a cage comprising a body member having a chamber therein for housing the queen bee and her attendants, said body having slots formed edgewise therethrough at points spaced inwardly from the outer faces of the body, slides removably mounted in said slots to form closures for said chamber, one slide having small orifices and the other openings to permit the Workers to pass out and in and exclude the queen, and a combined closure and feeder to fit interchangeably over said slides, and reversible means to hold said closure in operative position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OREN EDGAR PHILPOTT. Witnesses:

K. C. WHITTLE, S. G. VVI-IITTLE, Jr. 

